You can kill monsters with this
by grandma23
Summary: A christmas fic for a friend


This story is dadecated to my beautiful and dear friend J, with much love.

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It was a beautiful, but a very cold day. The snow was covering Avebury with its white and pure sleeves like a caring and loving mother. Trees looked weary and ancient around the Roxton's estate, loaded with thick layers of sparkling snow.

The sky was grey, and looked like it was getting ready for yet another shower of snow. Everything looked peaceful, except a little boy, whose appearence clearly said that he had a very loving and caring mother, who would never let her beloved child go out in cold weather without warm coat and hat. Johnny hated it, as he intended to run and play around their estates spacious fields, and his extremaly thick clothes wouldn't be very helpful.

The silence was cut only by the soft noise of his books connecting with dry and yet untouched snow. And, by his silent sniffs. His childish eyes were filled with tears that rolled over his cheeks. He had asked William to play snow balling with him, like they had done every winter. But alas, time goes fast, and his brother was already fourteen years old. And, as he had told Johnny, he couldn't spend time with little nitwits like him. Poor child had felt unworthy and alone, and left home crying. Was it his fault that he was just ten years old, dammit?

His disturbing thoughts faded as he heard a muffled and desperate cry behind pine trees. At first Johnny got scared, what if it was an angry witch that wanted to jinx him? But then he remembered his brother calling him a stupid nitwit and hurried towards where he had heard the voice from.

Behind the tree was a little girl kneeling in a very helpless way, and was holding her wrist in equally helpless manner. Her generous tears meant she was in much pain. Suddenly she noticed the boy standing in front of him and gave a cry of surprise and scare. Roxton had just noticed how luminous her eyes were, when he heard hurried steps just behind his back before feeling a sharp pain in his skull.

His eyes went blank for a moment, as he stumbeled on his feet and kneeled beside the little girl. At last he looked up and saw a very angry looking young lady, standing in front of him and the little girl who was still sniffing but was looking up at the stranger girl with trusting eyes. It was obvious those two knew each other. The girl who had almost blacked him out with the large wooden stick that she was still holding with a little ridiculously defensive manner, was probably from the village next to their estate, he thought.

"Who are you and what did you do to my friend!" finally the girl cried. She was very pretty with her straight dark hair and green dress, looking about his age. Before he could say anything, she hurried to the child and helped her to stand up, making sure she was alright. She noticed her little friend's sore wrist with a sharp "ah!" and looked at Johnny more sternly.

"I just heard her cry out and came here when you.. appeared" he mumbeled and as he saw her eyes softening and probably realising her mistake, he went on more bravely "and, for your information, I'm Lord Roxton" he said and blushed, as he knew it was his brother that would be the Lord.

The girl looked very worried and ashamed, and as she opened her mouth to speak the little kid spoke out:

"Joanne, he not hurt me. I fell from tree branch." she said and looked at Johnny with those innocent grey eyes, as he noticed. She was probably five years old, if not younger, and she had long curly hair, which was framing her childish facette.

The girl whom she had called Joanne, looked now really scared and clearly unhappy. "I am so sorry Sir, please forgive me for my silly mistake." she said and embraced the little child more tightly "see, I couldn't find Madge anywhere, and was so worried and I.."

"It is fine miss" Johnny said with attempted manly voice, as he finally thought it was his turn to speak. He was getting tired of thos awkward and complicated scenario and wanted to get away from this strange couple as soon as possible. "As tomorrow is Christmas, I will have pity on you and won't make my guards, uh, punish you." he said and blushed at his own words again. "But please next time be more.."

"Jo I hungry and my hand hurting" Little Madge whined and suddenly fell on snow unconscious. John's first instinct was to run to her and pick her up. He didn't know why, but he knew he couldn't leave this girl like this.

"What is wrong with her?" He asked Joanne, who helped him to hold the child, as she was too heavy for him to carry.

"I think she didn't have breakfast.. again." she said quitly and patted her the kid's thin cheek. John looked at the girl with pity, as he noticed both of the girls looked almost skeletal.

"Are you from the village?" He asked, leading their way towards his home, knowing there was no other way.

"No, we are from a boarding school, Sir" she said and pulled her thin shawl thightly around her shoulders. She had finally let go of Madge for she had made sure he could hold her unconscious form without her help.

"We were brought here for holidays; Madge, I and some other girls who don't have parents" suddenly she blushed as she realised she had said a little too much. "But yes, we are sraying in the village at the moment. But you really don't have to.."

"We'll just make her gain consciousness again, give her something to eat and then you will go home again. "he assured her and breathed heavely - as much as the kid was thin her weight was too much for him.

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Lady Roxton had been very kind and caring to the girls. First she put a spoonful of sweetened Brandy in Madge's mouth, which helped her to regain consciousness and start wailing as she found herself in an unfamiliar house.

"Oh, she's freezing!" Lady Roxton said and hurried towards the upstairs. "She needs warmer clothes. Joanne, come with me, so that I can fetch you solething too, you are soaking wet! Oh, and she needs to have her wrist bandaged!" She was clearly enjoying taking care of these pretty girls, although they were strangers. She was the proud mother of two sons, and yet, she had always desired a daughter, another female at the Roxton's estate.. Johhny had looked so forlorn and hilarious holding the little girl like a hero in shinig armour. My little hero, she thought and smiled.

Joanne was clearly uncomfortable with the lady's warm attitude to them, but did as she told her.

Left alone in the living room, in front on the warm fire place, Johnny and Madge stared at each other silently. The child looked calmer now, as she had seen her friend trusting these poeple. Moreover, she looked arond and saw the beautiful christmas tree, loads of wrapped presents under it.. She felt warmth that had never felt before.. Maybe this was what a sweet home looked like?..

"We have christmas tree too, in our room. Our nanna brought it and Jo and I decorated it.." she said in that childish voice and sipped warm milk from the huge glass that the big boy had brought her.

"The big boy" smiled at her and marvelling into her innocent and yet so random beauty, sank into deep and sour thoughts.

These orphans probably didn't even have a warm fireplace a home.. Alas, they didn't even have a home. He sighed. he realised how many things he should be grateful for. Loving parents, presents under the tree.. He shooed the thoughts away. He knew he wasn't supposed to have this kind of thoughts, these were adult's thoiughts. and yet, looking at this beautiful and angellic child, he couldn't not blame the world for being so unfair. Suddenly Madge sneezed loudly, and for a moment he felt urge to hug her and kiss her on forhead, like her mother did when he was ill.

"Want some more milk?" asked and took the glass from her little hand.

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Thank you very much for the tea, m'am." said Joanne, holding now red-cheeked and content Madge's hand. They were standing at the door. "Thank you for everything."

"Don't mention it darling" Lady Roxton smiled at the brave girl, admiring her caring and protective attitude to her little friend. Little Joanne D'Arc, she thought.

"Are you sure you don't want servants to accompany you? Madge said she's afraid of dark"

Joanne shook her head decisevely. "No, thank you Lady Roxton. I know the way to the village very well."

"But I'm afraid of dark, Jo" Madge whimpered " There are monsters in the dark."

Suddenly John, who had been standing there quitly, ran to his room and returned with his favourite toy gun.

He smiled at Madge "here, you can kill monsters with this." Little girl took the toy and clutched it with her frail hands, smiling broadly at the 'big boy'.

Johnny sat at the window and looked out in the dark, seeing Joanne's green dress and Madge's bushy hair and red scarf dissapearing in the dark.

It was still snowing. Johnny could hear their cook singing a christmas carol in the kitchen...

The End

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Merry christmas everybody!!:D

and please don't forget that when we sit at home and celebrate with wine and sweets, there're still many kids around the globe, like Madge and Joanne, looking for love and home.

oh, and im not one of those poeple who like critics and stuff like that.. if u dont like the story.. get over it. HAHA


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